The Department of Energy has been authorized to launch a $50 million program that would broaden access to smart technologies for small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies.
The State Manufacturing Leadership Program strives to help boost domestic production efficiency, which is part of the Biden administration’s goal under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, DOE said Friday.
The program is designed to help SMMs procure and implement high-performance computing technologies and other smart manufacturing technologies and practices.
DOE has also enlisted technical assistance providers from the private and public sectors to guide the companies. The agency’s national laboratories, the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnerships and Manufacturing USA’s research institutes are involved in the initiative.
The Energy Department will award as much as $2 million per state for projects with a performance period of up to three years. At least 30 percent of each competitive funding award will be matched by the states, which include Washington, D.C. and U.S. territories.
“This funding opportunity will ensure that the benefits of a clean energy economy are felt across the country,” DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm commented.
Interested applicants may attend an informational webinar on April 6, before the submission deadline on May 30.